Retaining-wall.



No. 705,732. Patented July 29,- I902.

F. A. BUNE.

RETAINING WALL.

I A.pplication filed Apr. 21, 1899.) (No Model.)

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Nrrnn STATES PATENT cam.

FRANK A. some, on LEBANON, omo.

RETAINING-WALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,732, dated July 29, 1902. Application filed April 21, 1899. Serial No. 713,859. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK A. BONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the county of Warren and State of Ohio,

have invented a new and useful Retaining Wall, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relatesto improvements in retaining-walls for abutments of bridges, seawalls, banks of streams, embankments, cuts, dams, dry-docks, andsuch places as it is desired to retain earth or other matter permanently in place with its face at an angle nearer vertical than it would naturally repose when exposed to the action of the elements or gravity.

The said invention consists principally of introducing into masonry of concrete, stone, or brick a framework of steel or iron in such a Way that the whole wall is so much strengthened thereby that the volume of the masonry may be greatly reduced, and yet the height, base, and strength against overturning, bulging, or settling will still be ample.

The object (stability with reduced volume) is further accomplished by the peculiar shape of the cross-section of the wall allowable.

The construction is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a cross-sectional view of my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side view of one of the metal bents and connections, turned on e-fourth around from its position in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of the metal on line y a, Fig. 2.

In the drawings similarletters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the form of wall shown the base extends somewhat more to the rear than to the front of the vertical part of the wall; but this may be varied to suit the circumstances-that is, the base with proper proportions of metal may be extended almost wholly to the rear or to the front of the vertical part without danger of its breaking ofi-the form shown in the drawings being what might be called an inverted T, while those suggested would be in the form of an L. or reversed l...

A represents the masonry.

13 represents the material retained; B, the earth on which the wall rests.

It is evident that a wall of the shapes mentioned is not so liable tobe overturned from the pressure of material behind it as would a wall of the same height and area of section, but having a rectangular trapezoidal or triangular-shaped section, for it is impossible to obtain as much base and height with a given amount of masonry with these lastnamed shapes as it is with those described above. This wall also having more base and less weight will rest more securely on a soft or yielding foundation. .The weight of the material resting on the heel acts, however, to cause said heel to press on the earth below, andthus cause friction to prevent the whole Wall from sliding outward.

The retaining-wall is preferably composed of cement concrete masonry with skeleton or framework of steel or iron located at the back parts, where the greatest tensile strain comes, and of other strengthening-rods of metal located at thelower part of the toe. Brick or stone masonry may, however, be used in place of concrete or a concrete backing may be used with a brick or stone face. i

The skeleton consists of a number of upright members 6 e, placed at regular intervals in the wall, connected near the top by one or more horizontal bars a and at the bottom by the horizontal bars The upright members are the most essential part and consist of the plate e, made, preferably, taperingfrom bottom I to top.- To each member at the rear thereof is riveted one or more T-shaped angle-plates Z), which extend, preferably, above and beyond the upright member 6. These angle-plates Z) are not simply to stiffen and strengthen the members, but are also intended as flanges which the masonry can act against, so that there will be no liability of the masonry moving outward without the upright moving also. There are also small angle-brackets c o c on both sides of the upright member to prevent any liability of its sliding vertically in the masonry in that part of the wall. On top of these last-named angles and at an angle thereto are attached the short bars (1 d d to further anchor the member in the body of the maward by the material back of said wall. The short angle-bars 7L h are placed on top of and secured to the brace f to assist in resisting any tendency of said brace to slide in the masonry. The two angle-plates g, attached to the bottom of the member e, are for anchoring the upright member in the base and also to stiffen the brace f. 1

It will be noticed that the metal in the upright member decreases from its junction with the bracef up to the bar a. This is done because the stress on this part of the wall decreases from the bottom to the top. It therefore would be a waste of material to make it the same size all the way up. The bar Ct, preferably an angle, runs horizontally through the length of the wall and is firmly fastened to the upright members at each intersection. This bar a not only acts to hold the wall together and carry the stresses in the masonry to the bents or members 6, but it also greatly strengthens the wall against overturning where the wall has horizontal angles or curves in it, as is generally the case in bridge-abutments. zontal bars is used, while two or more may be used for higher walls. The bar 2' extends from the bottom of one brace f to the bottom of the next and is intended to assist the masonry to carry the load imposed on top of it to the bracef and also to act as a flange on top of the tie f, that it may not slide through the masonry.- It is not absolutely necessary that the bars a and i should run continuously through the wall as mentioned. They could be made to extend but a short distance on each side of the upright and would answer fairly well in a straight wall the purpose for which they are designed. The rod k, with an enlargement 011 each end, acts to strengthen the toe at the bottom where the greatest tension stress occurs. These rods are placed at proper intervals along the length of the wall, generally two or three feet apart.

In a soft or yielding foundation a row of piles n are placed along under the toe of the wall. With the piles driven to a firm foundation or with the toe of the wall resting on a firm foundation the wall in order to be overturned by a pressure in the rear would have to turn on the toe of the wall with a pivot near where the pile n is located in the drawings. In this case it is evident that the body of the wall, together with the earth or other material resting on the back of the base, will have to be lifted upward. Thus it-can be seen that the shape of the wall as described is such that the tendency to be overturned by pressure on the back is overcome with a minimum amount of material in the wall; but this reduced amount of material in masonry must be reinforced by the introduction of a stronger material than masonry where the greatest tensile stress comes.

I would remark here that steel and concrete masonry work together admirably, for their coefficients of expanson from the effects For low walls but one of these horiof heat are almost exactly the same. The concrete'adheres with great. tenacity to the steel, protecting it absolutely from rust and corrosion.

With the earth pressing outward on the vertical part of the wall and downward on the heel or back part of the base it is evident that the internal stresses created within the wall will act to create tension in the rear, and compression in the front or the pressure outward results in an upward pull at the back and, a downward push on the front part of the vertical part of the wall. Now ordinary good masonry of concrete, brick, or stone is as good a material as we could desire to resist the compressive strains on the front, but with a wall as described above and shown in the proportions of the drawings the best of masonry would be deficient in strength in the back part and would be liable to crack open and the body of the wall break 0E and fall outward. I therefore place my metal in the extreme back part of the wall, where the tension is greatest and where the metal will have the greatest effect being farthest from the neutral axis of the wall. The upright of metal is, however, made stiff enough to resist any tendency of the wall to bulge that might occur in making a wall as thin as the one described.

The T-shaped angle-plate b, a cross-section of which is shown in Fig. 3, is secured to the rear side of the upright member 6 and is used on account of its stilfness and rigidity and because the greatest mass of metal is placed in the extreme back part of the wall, where the greatest strain comes and where it is of the most service.

The back part of the base or the heel of the wall under the forces mentioned above would be subject to a tension in the upper portion. I therefore put in the tie-brace f at this point.

In building my retaining-Wall the metal skeleton is first erected in place, each intersection being fastened together with a sufficient number of rivets or bolts. The masonry is then built around the frame, completely covering it and protecting it from the elements. The projections m m m, &c., on the back part of the wall run horizontally along the length of the wall and are for the purpose of increasing the sliding friction between the wall and the material retained, and thus assisting to keep said wall in its normal position. The retained material catches on the projections and creates considerable downward pressure on the back part of the Wall as a resultant of the weight of the retained material. When the material retained is in a liquid state, I claim no advantage to be derived from the projections mentioned.

I am aware that retaining-walls have been constructed of concrete and steel, but none to my knowledge have been supported on their own base as mine, nor have any of them entirely inclosed the steel within the concrete, nor have any of them used the weight of the material retained as a force to retain itself.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a retaining-wall having a heel, of a metal structure embedded vertically in said wall and obliquely in said heel, so that the weight of the retained material upon the heel of the metal structure will operate to retain the wall in vertical position.

2. In retaining-walls the combination with a wall of masonry, a series of tapering upright bents or members of metal braces embedded within the interior of said masonry at the back part, only, of the vertical portion and continuing down along the upper part of the heel of said wall to the back part thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with a retaining-wall having an inclined heel, of a metal structure embedded within said wall and heel, consisting of upright bents 'at the back part of the vertical wall and continuing down along the upper part of the heel of said wall to the back part thereof, in such a manner that the weight of the retained material upon the heel of the metal structure will operate to maintain the wall in vertical. position. 1

4:- Aretaining-wallhavingaheel (strengthened by metal within and connected with braces in the wall by suitable brace-rods) ex tending to the rear of the base, upon which the retained material rests and acts by gravity to keep said wall in its normal position, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a retaining-wall having a heel, of a metal structure embedded within said wall and heel, consisting of upright bents at the back part of the vertical wall and continuing down along. the upper part of the heel of said wall to the back part thereof in an inclined direction, whereby the weight of the retained material upon the heel of the metal structure will operate to maintain the wall in a vertical position, as set forth.

' 6. In a retaining-wall, a series of tapering bents embodied'in said wall composed of the upright member e, base 9 and tie-brace f in combination with the masonry substantially as described.

7. In a retaining-wall, a series of bents of metal in the back part of said wall extending down along the upper part of the heel, and a series of strengthening-rods 71: provided with enlarged ends and embedded in the lower part of the toe of said wall, in combination with the masonry of said wall, substantially as described.

8. In retaining-walls a series of bents composed of the tapering upright member 6 having flanges b, the tie-brace f and base-brackets g in combination with the masonry, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In retaining-walls, a series of upright bents tapering in size and strength from the base to the top, angle-rods z and braces f between said rods and said bents, in combination with the masonry, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a retaining-wall, the combination with the masonry thereof, of upright bents having their lower ends suitably anchored and braced, and provided with suitable angleplates and brackets, said angle-plates and brackets being adapted to be so held in said masonry that any vertical or lateral slipping or movement of said plates or brackets independent of the movement of the upright bents and the wall will be prevented.

11. In retaining-walls the anchor-bars d at tached to the bracket 0 in combination with the upright member e and wall A substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. In a retaining-wall, the beam 1. attached to the brace f in combination with the masonry A, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. y

13. In a retaining-wall the combination of the metal framework consisting of the longitudinal bars a and t and a series of tapering upright bents and braces between said bents and the bars t, with a wall of masonry inclosing said framework substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In retaining-walls, the brackets h attached to the brace f in combination with the masonry A for the purpose set forth.

15. In a retaining-wall, the base 9 in combination with the upright member e, tie f and masonry A,.substantially as described.

' 16. The combination with a retaining-wall having a heel and a toe at opposite sides thereof, said toe having an independent metal structure embedded therein, of a metal structure embedded within said wall and heel, said structure consisting of upright bents at the backpart of the vertical wall and continuing down along the upper part of the heel of said wall to the back part thereof, so that the weight of the retained material upon the heel of the metal structure will operate to maintain the wall in a. vertical position.

17. The combination with a retaining-wall having an inclined heel and a toe at opposite sides thereof, of a metal structure embedded within said wall and heel, said structure consisting of upright bents at the back part of the vertical wall and continuing down along the upper part of the heel of said wall to the back part thereof, whereby by reason of the toe and the heel the weight of the retained material upon the heel of the metal structure will operate to maintain the wall in a vertical position.

Signedby me at Lebanon, Ohio, this 18th day of April, 1899.

FRANK A. BONE. Witnesses:

E. B. PAULY, R. B. CORWIN.

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